Lagos Sacks 57 Local Council Executives

The Lagos State Government has directed the Executive Secretaries of the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 Local Council Development Areas in the state to quit office immediately.

The state government said it took the decision as part of preparation to conduct local government elections in the 57 local councils and ensure that the necessary machinery was put in place for the elections.

The decision was contained in a statement the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, issued about four hours after the Lagos State House of Assembly at a plenary asked the state governor, MAkinwunmi Ambode, to dissolve the caretaker committees in the 57 local councils.

The statement said that the governor had directed the executive secretaries “to hand over the reins of administration to the Head of Administration in each of the council areas.”

It said that the dissolution of the caretaker committees “is preparatory to the holding of elections into the 57 council areas by the state government and ensuring that the necessary machineries are put in place preparatory to the elections.”

The state house of assembly had on April 22 passed into law a bill recommending a four-year tenure for elected local government helmsmen instead of the three years tenure that hitherto obtained.

At a plenary on Thursday, the assembly urged the state governor to dissolve the caretaker committees and appoint sole administrators for the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs sequel to a motion moved by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Mr Wasiu Sanni-Eshinlokun, and seconded by the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr Olumuyiwa Jimoh.

The assembly said the appointed sole administrators would serve for three months in the 57 council areas before the conduct of council elections in the state, which might hold on or before October 2016. [myad]